Home & Away star Ada Nicodemou gives you a sneak peek into the life of a working actor

Everyone knows how brutal the entertainment industry can be, whether you're grinding away just to get a foot in the door or doing everything you can to keep working. The struggles of the working artist are so well known they're almost cliche at this point. But one entertainer who's beaten the odds for more than two decades is Aida Nikodimu, who you might know better as Leah from Home and Away. How has Aida done what so many haven't been able to figure out? And hold a steady job in the

Look like for Ada Aida.

I'd love to start with understanding what does a week in your life look like.

Every week is different, like every day is different.

We tend to get a schedule on a Thursday night for the following week, but the last couple of years with COVID, nothing is certain as everyone else is, you know, facing the same problem, So we do get a rough draft for the following week. But if someone tests positive, then you know, you can get a phone call. Go, you know, come in. You don't have a day off today, You've got twelve scenes that you need to do. But generally, let yeah, I get my schedule, and the minute I

Then I'm scheduling my workouts and any sort of appointment. So tragitial.

So what I usually like to do, Like this morning, I was at the gym. I left home about like six, so I wasn't too bad, went to the gym. I had a day of today, so I've gone to the gym.

Like I was saying to you, I just after.

The gym when looked after my grand my goddaughter, and you know, now I'm not going to do a bit of work at home, but otherwise I tend to go to the gym at if I'm working, I don't know, like four point thirty five o'clock if I can, and.

Then go to work.

Usually at work by seven or six, do makeup, and then you're on set. Know it just to but every day is different. Like some days I might not start until twelve or two.

Other days I.

Might be finished by nine o'clock in the morning. Like every day is different.

Wow, okay, so talk me through a day where you're on set for the majority of the day, Like what would that look like?

So, yeah, you'll go into makeup, get you're going to your dressing room, get.

Change, go into makeup.

I always have a coffee while I'm getting my makeup done. Makeup tends to take about forty five minutes. I'll also go through my lines while I'm sitting in the chair, like obviously you know them by this stage, but it's just nice just to sort of read over them.

I'll do that, then get made up, go on to set. It depends again what set it is, but say it.

Might be the Morgan House or the diner, which I mean a lot you'll do.

How many sings do you do before lunch? Maybe it might be about eighte scenes before lunch. Then you've got an hour lunch break, and then there could be some scenes. If you're on all day, then there's probably another eight.

After lunch, and then come home, get your son ready, get into bed and learning a cook dinner, learn your lines, and do it all again.

But it depends.

Okay, so learn your lines.

You make that sound so easy, but I mean eight scenes before lunch, and I imagine it's not just remembering words. You're remembering the blocking, the physical movement of where you need to be.

No, not anymore so when I first started in Home and Away, we used to it was a completely different setup. So there was like three massive cameras. I'm sure you've seen this where you've seen like live TV shows being done with this three big cameras on the floor. And then so we would have rehearsed it beforehand, and we would have rehearsed all of our blocking, and we wrote

You know, start at the cough machine, maybe.

Online to walk over, pick up a plate, go into the kitchen, whatever. But that's quite collaborative as well, and depending what the scene is, you know, you might have something to do with the blocking, the director might have

So how do you learn life? What's your process?

I'll read the whole script prior to rehearsals, and then when I get my schedule for the following week, I'll break it all down into the days and then if I know that, for example, on Thursday, I've got a really big day, I'll just sort of read over those, you know, throughout.

The weekend, or like just a couple of times, So it just depends on what it is.

But my process is with learning lines, just to keep doing it, you know, just before bed. I find if I read my lines before bed, they tend to sink in.

But it just depends on what sort. If you've got a massive.

Monologue, then you've got to sit down and really spend a bit of time learning your lines. But if it's conversational stuff like reading it, you know a few times before bed over a couple of nights, it tends to sink in, and then again in the makeup room you read them again, and then you've got a couple of rehearsals on the floor and they.

Tend to be in your head. I've been playing Lea for twenty one years or whatever it is, twenty two years.

So it's a lot easier because I understand the character and I feel that they probably right close to us as well, so it's a lot easier to learn.

How do you try to relax before those big days where you are kind of mentally maybe stressing and preparing what strategies have worked for you.

Exercise really works for me.

A really good breakfast, Like if I'm and if i'm tired or hungry, I'm not good to anyone. So yeah, I like to have a really good breakfast. And I'm one of those people that wake up hungry. So I have no issue with having breakfast or whatever. Like I can have breakfast at three o'clock in the morning, but

Yeah, it just really works for me.

I'd like to say a good night's sleep, but ever since I've turned I don't know, I'm forty five now, I'm going to say the last two three years, I'm such a terrible sleeper.

I think it's just my age. So yeah, I battle with sleep a lot.

Do you have almost like a shutdown or a switch off richeal when you've shot all your scenes for the day, there's nothing left to do, but you've still got the full face of makeup and the lashes and everything. Is there a process that you used to switch off?

Yeah, so I find that my drive to work prepares me for the day, and because I'm just by myself, and then I find the drive coming home helps me unwind, so because I feel like, you know, because you're talking all day and on, like, I just think that drive home really helps me. But then when I come home, you know, say hi to the family, I have to go wash my face, wash the lashes, draw it, pull my hair back like it is now.

And then I'm ready because I do I feel like I do need to wash that, or I'll have a shower just so I can just wash the day off before I'll start dinner or whatever it is that I need to do, because especially if you're on set all day, there's a lot of powder that goes on your face, and I feel like it just gets really heavy by the end of the day.

So I just, yeah, I just need to sort.

Of wash it all off on your drive home.

Is there anything else that you're doing to transition out of work mode.

Yeah, Like, sometimes I'm thinking about the day and breaking it all down and getting rid of it, you know, because I don't like to bring that energy home because sometimes you know, I mean, you might be doing a day where there's a lot of emotional scenes and as much as you don't want to take that on, of course you have to take that on because you have to get to a point and be able to cry

But I got to let it go.

Hopefully someone just got up, made a cup of tea at that point, didn't even see the scene because they're so quick, So you know, I just don't let it affect my whole day, because we can't be perfect all the time and we.

Are never perfect. So yeah, I do just have to shake it off.

How did you learn to do that?

I think just survival, you know, because I was finding that I was letting it really get me down because I am a perfectionist. I think I am type A personality, so everything has to be perfect, you know, like literally at home, like my pillows have to be a certain way, all that sort of stuff. But I was just finding that it was making me really unhappy and very unproductive.

In my whole day.

I was letting, you know, a conversation that i'd have with someone, or you know, a line read that wasn't great or whatever it was. I was just letting it affect to my whole day, and then a lot of times affect my mood when I was coming home.

And yeah, I feel like that's.

Just you can't do that, and especially when you've got a child, like I don't want my child to you know, I want to be really present when I'm with him because I do work a lot, so it's very important for me to be present for Jonas. So yeah, I've had to learn just to shake things off and also not like everything around the house doesn't need.

To be as perfect. It's never going to be perfect.

You know.

There's always something to do. There's always another load of washing to do, like all of that stuff, right, So I have to constantly work on that though, I do have to work on just letting things go.

What strategies have you found have been effected for doing that? Which is easier said than done. Let's face it.

Yeah, look, I've accepted this is who I am, and I just have to talk myself when I find myself getting really busy at home and cleaning for like just constantly cleaning.

Like, Okay, what's that about? What am I avoiding? Like?

Is there something I need to be writing down and thinking about? Do I need to go for a walk and just shake it off again? Like there's a reason why I think you need everything to be perfect all the time.

I'm trying to control something.

So I'm just trying to be like more self aware and also just letting things go.

And you know, the minute you have a child, like you.

Do learn you have to let let things go because you can't control them.

You know.

You know, I spent the morning with my little goddaughter this morning, who's eighteen months. You're on her clock, like it's whatever she wants to do. So I think children really make you present.

How how have you balanced.

The I guess you know what can be sort of an unpredictable filming schedule of being an actor with being a mum.

I have really struggled the last couple of years because prior to COVID, we would get our weekly schedule and it would pretty much stay the same. It was very rare that it would change. You know, if someone was really sick, like I'm talking in hospital sick, it would change, or if the weather was really bad. But you tend to be the same all the time. And I like having a schedule and sicking to a schedule.

Whereas I find now even when you've got a day off, like I get a little bit anxious that I don't know when I'm want to be called in. You're constantly looking at your phone. You make appointments you don't know if you're going to make them. You know, I promised my son I'm going to pick him up, and then I might not with down and pick him up, like all of that sort of stuff. So I haven't got a handle on that, Like, I still struggle with it.

I'm not the only one.

I'm sure everyone's in the same boat with COVID. We haven't been out of book holidays, you know that we could keep them even now, Like I've got a holiday booked in three weeks, and I'm not excited about it because it's like, well, who knows whether we'll be able to go, you know, it's it's still always up in the air. But I try and just be as organized as I can.

I try and you know, make sort of contingency plans for my son and for everything else around me.

Just think I have to go into work and yeah, you just have to be more president of being in the moment.

I get. This is what COVID has taught us all. I think.

We will be back with Ada soon talking about how she balances her work schedule.

With being a single mum. If you're looking.

For more tips to improve the way that you work, I write a short fortnightly newsletter that contains three cool things that I've discovered that helped me work better, ranging from software and gadgets that I'm loving through the interesting research findings. You can sign up for that at Howiwork dot Code. That's how I Work dot co now you've been on Home and Away for over twenty years. I mean, it's unusual for anyone, let alone an actor to be in a job for so long.

How are you keeping it fresh and interesting?

Look, because the storyline, like, everything moves so fast, I don't think you have a lot of time to be bored. And there is always quite interesting storylines and okay, sometimes they're bigger than others. But I'm not that bored because it's not like you're playing the same story the whole time. We're always telling a different story, so that makes it interesting. And also they let us like, we're very fortunate that Home and Away and seven will be quite open to

It's a bit impossible.

But prior to this, there was other projects that we got to work on as well. So yeah, if you're trying different jobs, I don't know, you just never get bored. I'm not bored, but for me it is a job as well, and I get a lot of joy out of my life outside of work, and.

My son just turned ten, so he keeps me really really busy.

Basically when you have one night off a week where we don't have a sport, so out of seven days, so we're quite busy.

Wow, Okay, I've got an eight year old daughter and we've got appall one afternoon a week.

Oh.

Like, yeah, he loves soccer, so he plays yet two different types of soccers, and then their play that they're trained and they play. Then he's got jiu jitsu and there's always up on. Yeah, so we're quite busy. Yeah, yeah, so there's ever a dull moment here that.

Sounds like it.

Now, a large part of your job involves doing interviews with media and promoting various things. How do you decide how much to reveal about yourself when you're doing interviews and work with the media.

Yeah, I've learnt to actually like, if something makes me uncomfortable, there's a reason why it's making me uncomfortable. I used to be one of those people because journalists have this really great ability of like, if they're silent, I tend to feel that silence because I'm just I'm a people pleaser, and I just I feel like it's part of my job.

And I was always giving a lot away.

And I try not to do that now because it's it would make me feel really uncomfortable. And also, I think for a long time, because I've been in this industry since I've been sixteen years old, I'm forty five now, I've gone through so many different things, but I've always felt like it's my job to give people everything, and it's actually not. And there is a lot of things that are really hard to talk about and are really really personal, and you don't need to tell people everything.

So yeah, I now go Look, if something's really uncomfortable, I won't talk about it. But look, I think I probably still am quite honest as well. But I do say no to a lot more than I used to because being at home with my partner and my son is so important to me and the last two years have taught me that, and I've pulled back from a lot of things. I don't do a lot of things like I used to.

I used to just say yes to everything because I thought I had to.

How do you decide now what to say yes and what to say no too?

If it's something that I really want to do. Also, is it going to take time away from my son?

Like weekend stuff I'll only do like any sort of weekend charity stuff Like for example, there's a telephone coming up at seven do every year, and I thought it was the weekend that I had my son because I share custody, and it wasn't. So I thought, Okay, well, I'm not taking time away from Jonas. So do I want to do this? Like, yeah, I'll go and do that, but yeah, if it means me having time away from Jonas, I don't tend to do it.

I'm going to share custody position as well, where I've got my daughter half the time.

And it's interesting.

I feel like they're two different lives that I live. You know, one is where I put myself first and I put my work first, and I can put my partner, you know, really high up in the priority list. And when I've got my daughter Frankie, she's my number one priority and everything gets scheduled around her. How does it work in your life? Like is that something you can relate to in terms of It's almost like you've got two lives.

Absolutely totally agree with you and you're so right, Like when they're with you. They are your priority, you know, and when you do share custody, like you notice it even more.

You notice how little time. Remember someone saying to me something about, you know, you have eighteen summers with them, I'm like, oh my god, when you put it like that, like why would I wish it away? And why would I give energy to something that I resent.

That's the other thing. You know, you say yes to these things and then you resent that you're doing it, So what's the point of doing it? And I just want to be at home with my son, So I totally relate to. But I remember initially when I started doing the share custody thing, when Jonas was away from me, I just was lost, like it's so unnatural not to have your child around, and I was just beside myself.

That's how I felt.

But so it's nice sort of having those two lives like you're saying, but but yeah, I do definitely though when he's around, like he is my number one priority. He literally just turned ten yesterday and I don't even understand how that happened.

And I was quite emotional about it yesterday. So how are you ten? And Yeah, it's just it's just too quick. It's way too quick.

Yeah, the eighteen Summer's thing. I love sort of thinking about those moments. I remember I saw Billy Crystal's One Man Show a few years ago. I think it was called five hundred Sundays, and that was the number of Sundays got with his dad before his dad passed away.

Life, Like obviously I try. I have a partner that I've been with for quite a while and we try and you know, do our date nights or have weekends away, and you know, just and fill our cups in different ways, like whether it's like I mean, I could spend all day at home just pottering around the house, cleaning and just organizing things. I love doing that. It's I just find it really relaxing. So I love doing that.

But I just it's really important just to you just do stuff for yourself. I love like I'll read, like I said, or I'll go for walks, or I spend you know, I'll see my friends.

But yeah, trying trying.

To relax is very important for me because I can just be on all the time. If I'm not careful, I don't. I'm not great at relaxing. And when I'm with Jonus, obviously you don't relax. So yeah, when I'm not with him, I do try and do things like that. But yeah, yeah, just just fill my cup in many different ways.

How do you make sure you do relax when it doesn't come naturally to you.

I have to I have to talk myself into like I had to. No, no, no, you don't need to do the fifth f looad of washing.

Or whatever it is. No, just sit down on the couch and read your book, and of course once you do, like, you know, it's lovely. I don't know where I get it from. I think my mom's a bit like me, and she's always just been.

On the go and and I don't know it's a female thing though as well.

It's always, oh, you know, I'm so busy.

Like I don't know why we wear this badge of we need to be really really busy all the time.

So I do have to talk myself down a lot.

So I think i'd love to hear from people is the best advice that they've received.

I'd love to start with advice.

Relating to your career and as someone, you know, one of the lucky ones that has had a pretty stable career in the entertainment industry, what's some of the best advice you've received.

I think it's just to teamwork.

I think it's never never believing the publicity, never believing that you're more important.

Than the next person.

Where we all are the reason why the show is so successful, and if it wasn't me on the front cover of TV Week, it'd be someone else.

It's just a job that you feel.

It's not because of it doesn't It's not because I'm special that you know, I'm on the cover of this so I've got this campaign or whatever it is, just because you're on Home and Away and it's a really popular show.

So yeah, I just think I'm always.

Very aware that it's teamwork, and yeah, that's really really important, is it?

Is it hard? Sometimes I guess not to believe the hyph.

No, not not for me.

I was really like, I've been look like I said, I've been in the industry since I was sixteen. So I remember when I first started in the industry.

You know, of course it got to my head.

I was a teenager and I was a little shit Like I remember talking back to a runner once and I just was so embarrassed about it afterwards, like who are you to like demand? Like it was just it's not how I was brought up. But I was really lucky that from the moment I was in the industry. I have a very strong Greek mum who firstly didn't let me have the money. She saved all of my money. She'd give me like a little bit of pocket money

I was always brought back down to reality. And I think because Mum did that with me early on, it's just stuck with me like that. It's just a job, Like we all just have a job out there. And I make sure that Jonas is aware of that because kids these.

Days from a very young age, just want to be famous. It's not about working hard, Like what's important is about being And I always say to Jonas, That's not what's important to me. What's important is that I work really really hard.

I enjoy my job. I work really really hard.

I'm nice to people, I can provide for you, you know, all of that stuff's really important. And yeah, I just I just really try and instill that in him that, you know, because they all want to be YouTube stars these days, which I just don't get.

How do you manage those situations where you're out in public with him and you've got fans approaching you.

Yeah.

He he went through like different stages, like when he was a baby of city in England, standard and a toddler, and then he used to get really angry that like the attention was off him, and then he was quite observant, and then he really liked it, you know, and.

So now.

Now sometimes he likes it, like but you'll go, oh, can I get in the photo too?

Like, no, no, no, you're not getting in the photo. You stand back.

Mammy is taking a photo, and they go, oh, does you do they watch home in away. I'm like, yes, yeah, what's my job, so I think, But now it's sort of becoming a little bit more matter of fact. But I noticed him at school the other I picked him up from school and some of the kids in the playgrounds that came up and were chatting or whatever, and I.

Could see him just like looking over and like being aware of.

It, but being sort of proud, but like, oh, yeah, that's just that's just what.

Happens, you know. So I don't know, like I'm forever talking to him about it, and I just I just want him to know that it doesn't mean a lot to me, and but it's come from a lot of hard work, and it's you know, if I could do my job and not be famous, that'll be even.

Better now aida for people that want to connect with you in some way. They can obviously watch home in away, but how else can people connect with you?

Oh? I guess my Instagram. I try and answer people, and you're gonna ask me what it is as well. I think it's just dating Nicodemo.

Yeah, so I guess guess through that through my Instagram and I got Facebook as well, so.

Yeah, Bazie, I will link to those in the show notes. Ada, thank you so much for your time. It's been absolutely fascinating getting an insight into your life.

Ah. Thanks, man, know, it's been lovely and I'm fine. I'm glad we finally got to do it.

Me too, Me too.

I loved hearing about Ada's process for switching off from her day, especially considering how emotionally draining some of her days must be.

It's strange when you work.

From home, you miss out on the commute home, which for many people I suppose is a chance to start that switching off process. I'd love to know what you do if you work from home like me, How do you switch off and leave your work day at work, even when work might be in your home. Drop me a note on the socials. You can find me at LinkedIn for my name Amantha Imba and also on Instagram at Amantha I How I Work is produced by Inventium with production support from Dead Set Studios.

The producer for this episode.

Was Liam Riordan and thank you Tom Nimba, who does the audio mix for every episode and makes everything sound so much better than it would have otherwise.

See you next time.